Traditionally, gaming systems with a dedicated console were standalone machines that accommodated a limited number of players (e.g., 2-4 players). Personal computer-based gaming grew in popularity in part due to the ability to play games online with many remote players over the Internet. Thus, one trend for dedicated gaming consoles is to provide capabilities to facilitate gaming over a network, such as Internet-based online gaming.
One problem encountered in online gaming, whether personal computer-based or dedicated gaming console-based, is network latency. When users of two different devices are playing a game against one another online, various delays may be encountered due to the sending of data between the devices. These delays can adversely affect game play, such as by making the game appear to be slow or “sluggish” to one or more of the users. Given the way in which network latency can adversely affect game play, it would be beneficial to reduce network latency among devices for online gaming.
The match making based on proximity measures between devices described below helps solve these and other problems.